Picks of the Month: July ’17

It’s been a minute. Things have been slow on this side, if you’re a regular reader for that we apologize. We’ve been recalibrating, but the frenzy of amazing music that this year has brought us hasn’t halted – and here we are with some cuts that you may have missed this month.

It’s been a minute since we’ve gotten some new music from Elujay, whose standout project Jentrify arrived nearly a year ago. Since then, he’s unleashed “Golden”, one of our favorite records from him thus far – but it’s “Linguistics” that revisits Elu’s familiar sound. Showcasing his knack for clever wordplay and signature melodies interspersed throughout, “Linguistics” is a laidback summer jam that has me excited for what’s to come.

Ivan Ave’s 2016 release Helping Hands is one I caught onto late, but over the past few months it hasn’t left my regular rotation. The Norwegian emcee reminds me of every reason I fell in love with hip-hop, introspective rhymes over jazz influenced production – and on Helping Hands he navigates through an incredible soundscape provided by Mndsgn. Here he reconnects with Mndsgn and DJ Harrison for “Fast Forward”, an incredible single from the forthcoming Every Eyewhich is due at the end of September. As mentioned in the description to the track, Ivan pines on how to proceed forth in a situation, setting up listeners with some incredible storytelling over standout synth that elevates the track further.

J.I.D. impressed many with his debut project The Never Story, which was released via Dreamville, and with tracks like “Hasta Luego” it’s easy to see why he’s becoming one of the most talked about up & comers. Over rumbling bass, J.I.D. absolutely spazzes out, his flow infectious and sharp as ever – be on the lookout for him to make big noise this year with tunes like this one.

Joseph Chilliams impressed many with a standout verse on Saba’s “Westside Bound 3” and Noname’s “Forever”, and emerged with “B2KK” earlier this month. A collaborative production between himself, Dae Dae Chae and Sen Morimoto, Joseph tackles this one with quirky rhymes that are incredibly refreshing, sprinkling in lines like “Zootopia better than Finding Dory” and “bangas in my hood like Rick & Morty”. Topped off with one of the catchiest hooks I’ve encountered in some time, Joseph follows up “Powerpuff” nicely and has me looking forward to what’s to come from him.

Kali Uchis has listeners foaming at the mouth for her upcoming project, after unveiling her Jorja Smith collaboration “Tyrant”, the Virginia native took to Twitter to announce that she was gonna flip her track in Spanish – because, why not? Enlisting buzzing Latin artist Fuego – many of ya’ll probably know him as the dude that covered “Hotline Bling” in Spanish, but he’s been in the reggaeton scene for ages; Kali unveiled the Spanish version, “Tirano”, and it’s everything.

Just Rese’s music under the now-shed moniker TyreseJohnsonMusic was traditionally rooted in a boom-bap sensibility, and it’s with his Just Rese name that he’s begun to showcase a broader range of experimentation. Tracks like the Jamal Jellyfish produced “Fluffy Pink Lights” and “Clamp Thot” are like a coming out party for a refined Rese, who’s sprinkled life into every record – this latest Wax Roof composed cut included. Just Rese is a different beast, but the same animal as he vocalizes the tales of an introvert at the function trying to keep up with woman he’s aiming to court on “Groov”.

Caleborate gets back to the basics on “Make Me & Take Me”, rapping over a soul sample flip where he airs out the imposters as he boastfully showcases his tenacity on the mic. Caleb vehemently charges into this track, seemingly rapping long after the track cuts out – a co-production between Drew Banga, Mikos Da Gawd & P-Lo. Caleborate has unleashed a few tracks here and there, but has been working on his forthcoming body of work, the follow up to the amazing 1993.

Knox Fortune is known by many for his work with Chance The Rapper’s “All Night”, a standout tune from the Chicago rapper’s Coloring Book, but followers of SaveMoney likely recognize his work with Leather Corduroys and Vic Mensa. “Lil Thing” is an incredible tune, that’s supposed to land on his debut project, a nostalgic tune that embodies summer and makes use of an incredible hook. Immerse yourself in “Lil Thing” while we await more from the Chicago talent, who handles the production here with assists from Nico Segal and Carter Lang.

It’s been a long journey for Phil Adé, after delivering a classic mixtape in A Different World, and his name amidst the numerous up & comers back then, he went on a bit of a hiatus and returned with R.O.S.E. and fans have been waiting for a project since. It seems at long last, after signing on with Wale and appearing on the MMG rapper’s recent album Shine that it’s time for Phil to get his. It’s been a long time coming, but “No Fear” marks a single from the forthcoming album Selfish; with an intro from songstress Saba Abraha, Phil and fellow DMV rapper Tate Kobang take on the minimalistic production that allows them to unleash some heavy verse.

Tyler first captured me with Bastard years ago, and watching the whole OF journey has been beautiful. Personally, Cherry Bomb didn’t capture me like previous releases – but Flower Boy is easily one of his best releases to date. It’s been in my rotation non-stop, an amazing composition with a great cast of characters – it’s the Kali Uchis collaboration “See You Again” that captivates upon first listen, but really the whole album is flame. Go get that now if you haven’t yet.

Jaden Smith’s “Batman” is my shit, and he follows that up with an energetic anthem, “Watch Me”. This track embodies the influences that Jaden has referenced in the past and combines them sonically while simultaneously putting his own spin on things, as he rages in the desert.

Smino teams up with Calmatic to unleash visuals for one of my favorites from his amazing album blkswn, hitting the drive in with multiple girls as he serenades them with easily the best hook of the year. “Netflix & Dusse” is the go to track when introducing Smino to new listeners for me, showcasing his one of a kind flow and the manner in which he weaves between singing and rapping with ease – glad this joint got a video.

Danny Brown’s Atrocity Exhibition was stellar. It encapsulated every aspect of Danny Brown’s psyche, a true journey into the mind of the maniac as he took on some helter skelter production and gave us one of the best posse cuts in recent memory with “Really Doe”. In the progression of the album, this cut “Lost” follows it up and feels like an extension of “Really Doe” – almost as though he’s reminding you of his prowess on the mic after following up some of the best rappers in the game right now. This video brings this track to life in amazing fashion, check it out and go get Atrocity Exhibition asap!

Vic Mensa is on his rap shit with “OMG”, a track which Pharrell lends his talents to and Pusha T absolutely annihilates. Vic just unveiled his latest project The Autobiography– and this cut is just a bonus track, so it’s well worth peeping.

YK La Familia's Point Guard. Raised by yeti in the alps till the age of three, he was trained at an early age in the ancient art of Thizz dancing. His hobbies include eating pizza & going on twitter rants.